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No. 12 Ole Miss and No. 22 Arkansas don't need to give us the game of the season. They did last year, when Arkansas won in Oxford on an overtime two-point conversion after a lateraled, fumbled, fourth-and-25 conversion kept their chances alive. It was wild and fun and all those good things we look for in college football games. Let's just appreciate that game.
But this year's game should be pretty good in its own right. Ole Miss is objectively more talented, but Arkansas is playing at home, and the Razorbacks should be a bit angry after getting crushed on their own field against Alabama a week ago. The Rebels still only have one loss in the SEC, also to Alabama, and they need a win to hang around the West race.
The Hogs and Rebels are stylistically different, but they've proven before to be a potent combination. Here's to hoping for another blast this year, even if it's a bit more tame than what transpired last time around.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN. The broadcasters are Joe Tessitore, Todd Blackledge, and Holly Rowe.
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Ole Miss opened as a 6-point favorite, and the spread has grown slightly.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation's team blog chats for this game at Red Cup Rebellion (for Ole Miss fans) and Arkansas Fight (for Hogs fans).
Three big things to know
1. Ole Miss' offense hasn't really stopped coming. The Rebs have gotten to at least 34 points in every game they've played, including against Alabama and Florida State. Arkansas' defense has had serious problems against the run, giving up 5.7 yards per carry and allowing too many chunk plays. The passing defense has only been a little better. With Ole Miss' shortcomings on the ground, it'd make some sense for Arkansas to play lots of nickel coverage and not let Chad Kelly be the man to beat them. We'll see how that plays out.
2. Arkansas' ethos is that it's tough in the trenches, but that hasn't worked out this year. You already know about the problems against the run, but Arkansas' line problems go deeper than that. The Hogs are 49th nationally in Adjusted Sack Rate, and they're only running for 4.4 yards per carry themselves. They're only getting two sacks per game on defense.
3. Kelly and Evan Engram have made beautiful music for Ole Miss. The Rebels' senior tight end has been the most productive senior in the country at his position, hitting up defenses so far for 30 catches and 479 yards. He's dangerous, and if Arkansas gets stuck between over-defending the run and backing too far off the line of scrimmage, Engram could do particular damage. He's a difficult man to cover.